San Diego News

CNO Says: 'No Plan' to Change Retirement

Washington, DC - In a one-on-one interview last week and during March 18 all hands call in Mayport, Florida Chief of Naval Operations (CNO) Adm. Jonathan Greenert asserted that changes to the military retirement system are far from taking effect and that there is no plan in place to change it.

Greenert made it clear at the all hands call and in a recent "Conversation with a Shipmate" interview, "If you wear the uniform today, today's retirement system is your retirement system."

Pushing back on recent retirement articles, Greenert told Sailors in Mayport, "There is no plan today to change retirement."

Greenert said the rumors of retirement changes stem from the Department of Defense recommendations to the Military Compensation and Retirement Modernization Commission reviewing military retirement for Congress.

The President established the commission to conduct a review of military compensation and retirement systems. The commission is tasked to submit a report of its findings, along with its member's recommendations, by May 1, 2014 to the President and Congress.

"Any retirement change that would take place is quite a ways down the road," said Greenert.

When asked about the possibility of a new retirement system, Greenert said "It's going to be a few years before we get one put together, studied, voted on and implemented."

An overhaul to military retirement is being considered to ensure fiscal sustainability for the Armed Forces as well as ensure quality of life for service members who choose to make the military a career.

Greenert said if there are changes, service members will have the option to transition to a new system but will still have the option to stay in the current retirement system they signed up under.